How Can Companies Attract Younger Employees?

Local business experts and Regent University faculty shared their strategies on how to hire digital natives, the nickname for those in generation Z. The goal was to get Regent‘s corporate partners talking about what companies can do to attract younger talent, and the annual luncheon on Thursday, April 7, brought points of view from representatives of Norfolk Southern, STIHL, StratusLIVE and Regent University.

“It’s always good to hear perspectives of other people, not only to reinforce some of the things that you are doing and see the value in that, but also to make connections with people,” said Shannon Stell, recruiting manager at StratusLIVE, a software company that develops solutions for nonprofit organizations.

Stell says younger workers are looking for a company that provides fulfillment in its work by making a tangible difference. She looks for people who don’t just bring technical aptitude, but also have the cultural fit within her organization. She joined a panel of five other guests from corporate partners and Regent to share success from this approach.

“We look for people who are hard-working and who are dedicated and who have a passion for the software development industry,” said Stell. “People who are fun and enthusiastic and can have a great attitude, because we want them to integrate well within our culture and be able to be collaborative and be good team members.”

Stell also expressed how important social media like LinkedIN and Twitter can be for both prospective employees and employers. Job seekers must know how to best represent themselves professionally, and employers must ensure their companies operate in a way that gains good social media review. Sites like Glassdoor can expose a company’s failure to maintain effective managers.

“I heard them say that it’s really important that their managers have an understanding of how to deal with people, which I think was a great plug for Regent University,” said Melissa Nannarone, director of corporate partnerships.

Regent offers its corporate partners’ employees and their families a scholarship that covers 25 percent of tuition. With its Master’s in Organizational Leadership and MBA program, Nannarone says Regent offers programs that can help these partners develop their workers.